


Ziva's Journey

by Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-09-06 13:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20292079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan/pseuds/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan
Summary: How Ziva found her way back to Tony and Tali in 2016; May – September. Parallel story to 'A Summer of Discovery.' Part of the 'You Complete Me' universe.





	1. Ready, Fire, Run - May

Ziva's Journey

_How Ziva found her way back to Tony and Tali in 2016; May – September. Parallel story to 'A Summer of Discovery.'_

Chapter 1: Ready, Fire, Run (May)

She ran into the night, the embers of the remains of the farmhouse glowing behind her. Mossad would find the burned body in the area that had been her bedroom. It had not been part of the plan, but when Ziva had come upon the woman in the olive grove, her training had put her into defender mode. After overhearing the woman talking on a cell phone about killing Farsoun before he could complete the mortar launch and then killing Ziva, she had dropped from the tree without a sound and slit the woman's throat in the same motion. She had carried the body to the house and placed it in her bed. Then she had gone back to the hill overlooking the house and olive grove, waiting for the strike of the mortar that she knew was coming. Farsoun had alerted her and given her an exact time, warning her to be away from the house when the mortar struck. He had wavered and she launched the mortar into the center of the house as Farsoun disappeared into the night.

Tali, her baby, should be on her way to her Abba by now. 'Do not go there,' she tried to push the thoughts out of her mind. She needed to focus on the next part of her plan to stay safe so that she could see the little girl again.

At the very back of the property, she crawled into a drainage pipe, retrieving the black backpack that she had placed there earlier in the week. The pack contained a change of clothing, an Israeli passport for Kidon Officer Sarai Perlman, a one-way ticket to Rome, two knives, and a small handgun. The outer pocket held two burner phones; sewn into the lining was the mini SD card from Ziva's old cell. The card held pictures that Ziva could not bear to part with, mostly of Tali and a few of Tony, her one and only link to her past that she allowed herself.

Next stop would be the airport in Tel Aviv to board the flight to Rome; she had booked a non-stop flight. She glanced at her watch; 0130. She would be in her father's Rome flat in less than eight hours. Once there she would change identities to gather information.

On the back road out of the property, she removed the tarp from the scooter that Farsoun had left for her, climbing on and heading out to the main road. Since the majority of traffic in the area was the fire vehicles and most likely Mossad vehicles at the main driveway to the remains of the farmhouse, she encountered very little other vehicles. At the airport, she left the scooter in a parking garage and slipped into the main terminal via the secure entrance used by Mossad, Shin Bet, and IDF. Ziva used Orli's access code, feeling absolutely no guilt over the deception. The official orders with Orli's signature would grant her quick passage through the security checks.

She changed clothing from the black hoodie to a non-descript shirt that gave her a Kidon look. She stuffed the hoodie in the backpack with the OSU t-shirt that she could not leave behind, a second pair of cargo pants, changes of underwear and socks, and two hats. After changing shirts, she used one of the knives to cut her curls to a much shorter ear-length. She flushed the hair down two of the toilets, carefully checking for stray locks. As she looked at her image in the mirror, the thought that Tony would probably cry at the change in her appearance (especially the hair) crossed her mind. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; she could not let herself be distracted by thoughts of either of the two loves of her life.

She checked twice more for any stray hair, and other signs that she had been at the bathroom. Satisfied, she put the Kidon hat over her remaining curls and slung the backpack over her shoulder. She exited the restroom, checking the hallway for anything unusual. She walked to the security gate with a crisp, purposeful stride. She caught her reflection in a glass window as she passed by; it was almost frightening how easily she slipped back to her old life. She reminded herself that she was no longer that Ziva, and that she had new knowledge and skills gained at NCIS. The Ziva who was in the new image had a purpose to her life; had something for which to live. The new Ziva had released her demons and embraced love; embraced the desire to be part of a family.

Family; it had been a long and tortured journey to this point, but she believed with all of her heart that her NCIS family was the place where she belonged. If they would have her, she would never leave them again. Tony and Tali were her everything; she was doing this battle for them as well as herself. For now, her head would be her guide; her heart would have to wait a bit longer.

The security checkpoint was relatively empty, a good thing in some ways. The less people she encountered, the less likely someone would recognize her. In some ways, the lack of people was not so good; the officers could take longer to verify her credentials and identification documents. She stepped up to the nearest gate and offered her documentation.

The officer, a middle-aged woman, looked at the documents and then glanced from the picture id to Ziva. She looked back down at the id, and then back at Ziva. Ziva tried to remain unfazed, but inside she was trying to calm the butterflies in her gut. 'You have done this before,' she reminded herself.

"Have a good trip, Officer Perlman," the security officer broke Ziva's internal conversation. "Your flight leaves from Terminal 3. The gate will be displayed on the screens in the terminal. Check-in for your flight is in areas 17 – 23."

"Toda," Ziva picked up her pack and moved to the shuttle loading area. She waited about ten minutes for the shuttle to arrive. Once aboard, the ride to terminal 3 was about another ten minutes. At the check-in for her flight, all went smoothly and she headed to her gate to wait for boarding. The quicker she was on the jet and in the air, the better as far as she was concerned.

In the waiting area, several large television screens displayed the news and weather. She watched the footage of the farm house burning along with the other waiting passengers.

"I sure hope the family got out," one woman commented. "There's nothing left of that house."

"They said it belonged to Mossad Director Eli David. I thought he died a few years ago," another woman replied.

"He did die; I think he did not have any family," a man said. "Oh, wait, he had a daughter, I think. She lives in the United States."

"I thought all of his family was killed over the years," the first woman responded. "Director David had many enemies either way."

"Look, they are doing an update." The second woman pointed to the screen. "One confirmed survivor; how sad."

Ziva just listened to the conversation, not offering any information or corrections. She knew the "survivor" would be Tali, assuming that Orli had put her spin on events. She wondered if the flight with her baby was en route to the States already. She also wondered if Tony had seen any of the international coverage of fire.

Her two loves, Tali and Tony, were the reason she was on the current journey; one which she planned would end the influence and impact of her father's world on hers forever. It was now HER choice and she chose to live her life without fear, without repercussions of her father's far-reaching evil, and without the albatross of Eli David around her neck. She, Ziva, chose life, love, and family.


	2. Rome - May/June

Chapter 2: Rome (May/June)

The flight arrived on time in Rome. Ziva slept on the plane, but it was an uneasy sleep. She arrived in Rome about 0800 local time; the flight was just under four hours. Once through customs, she found a small cafe inside the airport and purchased breakfast. The frittata with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese was rather bland, but filling. It satisfied her hunger for now.

She made her way to the Rome apartment carefully checking if she was being followed or tracked by anyone. She was almost certain she had managed to slip out of Israel undetected. When she arrived at the building, she glanced around the street and surrounding area carefully. Nothing seemed off or amiss.

Inside, she climbed the stairway to the fourth floor apartment. She carefully felt around the door frame and found what she was seeking; the secret release for the lock. If nothing else had come from her years of training with Eli and Mossad, she did know how to access her father's properties without the benefit of keys. She slipped through the door with barely a sound.

Once she shut the entry door, she quickly found the switch to deactivate the external access button. Ziva double-checked the multiple deadbolts on the door before turning to inspect the apartment. The living room had sturdy, practical furnishings; a sofa, end tables, coffee table and a loveseat. On one wall there was a bookcase with mostly empty shelves.

A framed picture on one of the shelves caught Ziva's eye. She moved closer to inspect the image in its gilt frame; it seemed out of place with the furnishings. The image within the frame caused her to let out a small gasp. It confirmed what she had suspected for many years while working at NCIS; her father had spied on her! The picture of her and Tony appeared to be from the fall of 2012; they were walking hand in hand in the hallway of her apartment building in DC. Judging from the clothing they had on, she believed that the picture was taken the night she and Tony went to dinner with Schmeil.

She picked up the frame; it was thicker and heavier than she expected. Her finger caressed the image of the man she loved more than life itself. "Ani ohevet otcha," she whispered as she turned the frame over in her hands to inspect the back. A small tab on a pivot held the back in place. She carefully moved the tab to the side as she sat on the sofa.

She placed the frame on the coffee table and slowly lifted the back up with her knife. On the inside of the backing, two small keys were taped in place. Underneath, in the next layer, were several sheets of folded paper with her name written in Hebrew on the outside. Ziva unfolded the papers and recognized her father's scrawled Hebrew characters. Of course her father would use an image to indicate a message to her!

The back of the photo had a string of numbers, a date – 27 November 2012 - and ‛My Ziva is happy with her Tony.' Ziva smiled as she read the note. She unfolded the letter from her father and read:

‛My Zivaleh: If you are reading this, I am most likely dead. If my enemies have not put a bullet in my heart, then the cancer will have finally taken me from this miserable Earth. I have lost so much time with you through my own choices; time that I fear I can never regain. Perhaps it takes facing one's own mortality to realize how precious that which we have in this life really is. Ziva, my shining star, my only remaining blood relative, I have made many mistakes with you in the past and I hope to atone for my sins before I pass. I pray that you will find it in your heart to forgive a foolish man who drove away the best gift he ever had. I hope when you read this that you and Anthony DiNozzo have made a family and are happy. He is so good for you, Zivaleh. I know that your Ima is smiling down on you and your love. When you have children, I hope that you will tell them about their Saba one day.

But enough of the sadness. You should have found two keys with this note. They are for safety deposit boxes at the Banca d'Italia branch that is a block north of the apartment. You are listed as one of the owners as Mathilde Zimmermann. The combination on the back of the picture is for the safe in the master bedroom; you will find identification for Mathilde with your picture that will be accepted by the bank.

I know that money, property, and diamonds cannot buy your love, but I do hope that you will remember that your Abba left you a sizable inheritance so that you may be free of the life of an agent of the law if you so choose.'

Ziva put the picture, note, frame, and keys down on the table and stared at them after she read her father's words. The thought came to her that finding the note from Eli was a sign that her current path was the correct one. Eliminating the influence of Eli David on his surviving child's life would be a large task, but she was convinced that it was a necessary step to complete. If she wanted to be in control of her destiny, she needed to tackle the enemies of her father head on.

She got up and made her way through the rest of the apartment; the kitchen was small but functional. A table with three chairs sat in a dining nook. The three bedrooms were large enough for two twin beds in each of the smaller two rooms, although only one had beds. The second smaller bedroom had a computer desk and chair. The master bedroom had a queen-sized bed, a blanket chest, and a chair. The picture of flowers that hung over the bed seemed out of place with the rest of the furnishings. Ziva lifted a corner to see the safe in the wall behind the picture.

She lifted the image off the hangers, and set it against the wall. She twisted the dial, using the numbers from the back of the image of her and Tony. As she turned to the last of the numbers, she heard the distinctive sound of the lock tumblers falling in place. She opened the safe to find a pile of documents, two stacks of US one hundred dollar bills, and a small box.

The photo ID for Mathilde Zimmermann was on the top of the stack of documents. Ziva set it to the side, knowing that she would need to use it soon. She sorted through the other items; directions to each of Eli's other properties around the world, a set of keys for the Rome apartment in the box, a photo of her family together, all five of them, and another hand-written letter. She unfolded the pages, at the top, in her father's writing, the first line read, ‛To my grandchild(ren) from your Saba:'. She stopped reading; that was not an emotional wound she wanted to visit at the moment. Better to save the letter for another time and place.

She glanced at her watch; the bank should be open soon if not already open. She made the contents of the deposit boxes her first priority. After that, she would determine the whereabouts of her own Rome contact and gather intel from her source. She put the ID for Mathilde Zimmermann in her pocket and slid the documentation for Sarai Perlman in the safe on top of the other papers. She closed the safe door and placed the picture back on its hanger. She pocketed the keys for the apartment door and prepped for her errands for the day.

At the bank, everything went smoothly. The representative, a young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties glanced at her ID and led her back to the deposit boxes. She used the keys to remove them and placed the boxes on a table to examine the contents.

‟I will be at my desk, should you need any assistance, ma'am," he left the room and Ziva was alone with the two deposit boxes from her father.

Ziva opened the first of the two boxes; she was not surprised to find five packets of US one hundred dollar bills and two €100 packets. Eli had always urged Ziva and his other protégés to amass US dollars and one other common currency for emergency use or to use when going underground. She did a quick mental calculation and figured that between this stash and the safe at the apartment, she had seventy thousand US dollars and twenty thousand euros. Also in the box was a small bag of diamonds, which she knew could be easily converted to cash in the diamond markets in Berlin.

The second box contained three additional sets of alias identification documents. Ziva looked through the sets of ids; one German set for Wilhelmine Lauszat; one American set for Karen Smith; and one Chilean set for Maria Rojas Ruiz. She put the sets of ids and a stack of each currency to the side to take with her.

Also in the second box was a list of contacts in and around Rome. Ziva recognized some of them as she had the same contacts. There was one name that surprised her, Stan Burley. How did Eli know the NCIS agent? She would not be contacting Burley, to do so would risk her being exposed too soon. She quickly committed the list to memory and returned the papers to the deposit box.

After placing the items she planned to take with her into her pack, and securing the remaining things back in their boxes, she pressed the call button to summon the bank officer. The boxes were returned to their lockup places and Ziva exited the bank, watching carefully as she moved along the street towards the apartment.

Confident that no one was watching her, she slipped into the apartment and secured the door once inside. She put most of the cash into the safe along with the three alternate identification packets. She kept out three hundred euros and five hundred US dollars. Her next errand would be to head to the market to purchase groceries and make her first contact.

Ziva filled her grocery basket with fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and pasta. When she spotted the market's owner she approached her slowly, checking that no one was watching her.

‟I wish to buy some Kvuzat Yavne green olives," she spoke quietly to the woman. ‟Chiara sent me."

The woman nodded her acknowledgement and led Ziva to the checkout. She totaled Ziva's grocery order and then wrote a number on the receipt. ‟Come back in five days with this number." Ziva pocketed the receipt and carried her bags of groceries to the apartment. As she approached the entrance, she again checked that no one was watching before slipping inside.

Five days would seem like forever, Ziva thought as she put away groceries. She needed a way to keep herself occupied. She looked around the apartment; it was mostly bare of decorations, furniture, and especially of anything that could be considered entertainment. She remembered passing by a bookstore on the way to and from the market. She would go buy some books to pass the time!

Nineteen novels, five days, and many meals later, it was finally time to make contact. Ziva pocketed the slip of paper with the numbers and headed to the market. She put several needed items in her basket and watched as the other customers completed their orders and left.

‟I am here for my Kvuzat Yavne olives," she slid the paper to the woman and placed her basket on the counter.

The woman nodded and walked to the door behind the counter. She opened the door and retrieved a can of the olives. ‟I believe this is what you ordered?" she put the can in Ziva's hand as Ziva pressed two hundred American dollars into her other hand. Ziva nodded and the woman bagged the groceries. Ziva placed the can of olives on top of one of the bags.

‟Grazie," Ziva started out the door.

‟Stai al sicuro, amica mia."

Back at the apartment, Ziva used her knife to remove the label from the olive can by cutting along the seam. She turned the can on its side and used the tip of the knife to move the tiny dials to the numbers indicated on the inside of the label. The bottom of the can fell open as she placed the final dial in the correct position.

Inside were several folded pages, a burner phone, and a key. Ziva unfolded the pages and read over the intel report from her contact. Her supposed death in the mortar attack was a hot topic in the underground and in intelligence communities. Mossad had put out the word that Eli's private files were destroyed in the fire as well as the house. The body of a female fitting Ziva's description had been recovered from the ruins. A she read through the report, her thoughts turned to Tony. She could only hope and pray that he had found her messages in Tali's go bag. Her most fervent wish was to hold him and let him know that she was indeed alive and well.

"Soon, my love, soon…" she whispered to the picture she took off the bookcase as she caressed the image of her soulmate. "Keep our baby safe until I am in your arms again…"

The other note from her contact explained that the key was for a storage locker and had directions for how she could find the locker. The burn phone would allow her to contact several of her Rome network directly via pre-programmed numbers. The primary contact would call her in two days with more information and to arrange a safe meeting if Ziva desired.

Exactly forty eight hours after Ziva retrieved the messages in the olive can, the burner phone rang. She answered on the third ring.

"Shalom," a familiar voice on the other end greeted her before she could say anything. "You are alive!"

"Ken, but only a few know that."

"And I assume you want it kept that way?"

"For now, yes. I need a secure computer and connection as well as a face to face meeting with Tannaz as soon as possible," Ziva wasted no time in stating her requests; pleasantries could come later, much later, when her safety and that of her family was ensured.

"The computer, give me twenty four hours; Tannaz, I will need longer," the male voice replied. "I assume it will be about your father?"

"The less you know, the better," she sighed. Her father's world had far-reaching arms. Would she ever be totally free of it? Tannaz Khorsandi was an Iranian born into a wealthy family; she was a year or two older than Ziva. Her father and brothers had been killed in a raid authorized by Eli many years ago and the woman had built a powerful underground and criminal empire based solely on her hatred of Eli David and all things associated with him. Ziva and Tannaz had taken ballet lessons together as young children.

"As you wish. The computer will be in the storage locker at 0800 in two days. There will be instructions on how to make a secure connection with the device. I will contact you again in five to seven days about Tannaz," the call ended. Ziva put the burner phone on the table and sighed. She had to learn to let things happen at their own pace, even though the thought that she had very little control over the outcomes bothered her tremendously.


	3. Berlin - June

Chapter 3: Berlin (June)

Ziva stepped off the train at the station in Berlin, her backpack slung over her left shoulder and the bag containing the laptop computer she acquired in Rome over the other shoulder. While waiting for additional information about meeting up with Tannaz, she had reached out to several contacts around the world via secure email. She had not heard back from any of them so far, but she hoped to find messages from Monique and two others when she next had a chance to check her email.

Her Rome contact had indicated that Tannaz was in Berlin, so Ziva took the train from Rome to Berlin using her identification for Mathilde Zimmermann. She had thirty thousand US dollars and twenty thousand Euros stashed in various pockets of her bags and clothing. She had acquired another change of clothes in Rome; American jeans and a lightweight shirt. She figured she could always blend in to the crowd by looking like US tourist. Tony's OSU t-shirt would also be an asset in that department.

Her first destination from the train depot was her father's Berlin apartment. Her father trained her well, and she knew that the key for the Rome apartment would also work at the other properties around the world. She glanced around for any suspicious activity or if someone were watching her before unlocking the door and slipping inside the apartment.

This one was much smaller than the Rome apartment; it had only two bedrooms and an efficiency kitchen. Much like the Rome apartment, decorations were minimal and the furniture was functional rather than decorative. A single photo in a frame sat on the otherwise empty bookcase that was against one wall of the combined living and dining area. Ziva walked over to examine the picture.

Another photo of her and Tony, taken in DC some time in 2012 or very early 2013; this one was of the two sharing a kiss outside Ziva's former DC apartment. Temporary annoyance at her father and his watch goons was soon forgotten when she pried the back off the picture frame.

'_My Ziva with her soulmate_,' was printed on the back of the image in her father's writing. '_May they be blessed with many years together and a house full of children_.' Ziva sat on the sofa staring at Eli's words. Why had he not said any of this to her in person? Why had he hidden his love for her so deeply that she did not even know if he ever loved her?

"Abba," she whispered the name she had avoided calling the man who had played a part in her creation for so long now. "Why, Abba? If you truly loved me, help me get the influence of your evil off my back once and for all."

Ziva was startled from her thoughts by the ringing of the burner phone. Perhaps her contact had more information about the whereabouts of Tannaz.

"Guten Tag," she answered the call. "Wie gehts?"

"Geht mir gut. Neun Uhr; Freundlicher Metzgermarkt. Frage nach Fritz mit den Diamanten." The call disconnected abruptly after her contact spoke the terse sentences of instructions. She would need to find the butcher to make the contact in the morning. She would also need to gather about fifty thousand US dollars' worth of diamonds to offer in exchange for information. Before she left Rome, Ziva had looked up the current exchange rates for diamonds in the Berlin markets; she would need about six to seven grams of the gem stones.

First up, she figured a careful perusal of the apartment was in order. Her trained eye quickly spotted the hidden wall safe behind an abstract painting. She tried the combination from the safe in Rome; it worked, as she had hoped it would. Her father had a thing about disliking anything with numbers; he would make all the safes have the same combination!

Inside were two additional sets of identification, one American and one French. She didn't pay much attention to the documents as she didn't need new ids at the moment. The small bags of loose diamonds were what she was after. Each bag should contain five grams of diamonds, if her father had kept with the way she, Ari, and Ilan had been trained. She took two of the bags from the safe and emptied the contents on to the small table.

Memories of the trip to Berlin in 2013, to find Ilan Bodnar, flooded in. Tony had been jealous of Adam, but had handled it surprisingly well. She smiled at the memory of their dance in the nightclub. She had been so engrossed in his eyes that she had felt almost drunk afterward. After they caught Yanev and had him in custody for transport back to the States, she and Tony had spent most of the remainder of the night making love in the hotel room. Exhausted but sated when they boarded the flight to Dulles, the two had slept for almost the entire time in the air. Tony's arm had been around her and their hands had been intertwined as the pair cuddled in their first class seats.

Ziva shook her head; enough of the distractions for now! She had a mission to accomplish and the sooner she succeeded, the sooner she could go to Tony and Tali. The longing to be in his arms once more could then be met. How she wanted to hold him, to make love to him, to kiss him, to feel his body next to hers. 'STOP!' she had to force his image from her mind, to focus on the immediate task.

She put about three fourths of the diamonds into one bag; estimating the weight to be about seven and one half grams. She put the remaining stones into the other bag to have as additional payment, or bribe payment, as needed. She also planned to take twenty thousand US dollars from her stash with her as back-up. If Eli had taught her nothing else, it was that good information was rarely cheap to come by. Having cash or diamonds to exchange for information was a tried and true method to get what she needed.

A short trip out to get a meal and groceries, plus check out the butcher where she would meet her Berlin contact gave her a chance to get out of the apartment. The butcher's storefront was rather plain, nondescript, which to Ziva was a good thing. The less attention she was likely to attract the better for her plan to confront Tannaz.

She put away her groceries and pulled out one of the remaining three unread books from her backpack. The one she grabbed made her smile; Ian Fleming's Casino Royale had been an impulse pick at the used books store in Rome. All she knew, from Tony, of course, was that it was the first novel in the Bond series, published in 1953. Another sign from the universe, perhaps…

After a restless night, Ziva arose at 0600. She prepared some tea and fruit for her breakfast. After a shower, and dressing in cargo pants and OSU shirt, she still had nearly ninety minutes to go before her meeting at the butcher shop. She fiddled with the bags of diamonds, dumping the smaller one onto the table and inspecting each gemstone. Waiting patiently was definitely not on her list of strengths when the safety of her family was at stake!

Finally the time came for her to head out. She put the bags of diamonds in her jeans pocket and used one of her knife sheaths to strap the packet of US bills to her left calf. She opted to go unarmed hoping that she would not regret the decision. Inside the butcher shop, she waited for the customer already there to finish her purchases and head out. The man behind the counter looked up as Ziva locked the entrance door from the inside.

„Guten Morgen. Ich bin wegen der Diamanten hier," Ziva made eye contact with the large man. „Ich muss bitte mit Fritz über die Diamanten sprechen." 

„Bitte warte hier." The man backed into a doorway behind the butcher counter, never taking his eyes from Ziva. He motioned to someone unseen to her and then moved out in front of the counter. Ziva watched the man and also the doorway.

"Shalom," the woman was definitely Middle Eastern but not Tannaz. "Search her; she is likely carrying multiple weapons!" The large man leered at Ziva as he moved closer to her.

Ziva held out her arms, "I have no weapons." The man's hands touched her shoulders and patted down over her body. She had to resist the urge to inflict bodily harm when his hands lingered on her breasts and then again on her hips. She spread her legs so that he could pat them down as well.

"I find that hard to believe, **Agent** David," the woman glared at the Israel-American. "We know that you are an American agent and now a citizen of the United States." The man's hand moved to Ziva's upper inner thigh; she tensed. He leered at her and moved his hand slightly upward. She spat fire with her eyes.

"I may be unarmed, but I can still hurt you," she hissed in warning as he moved his hands down her right leg and then moved them to her left side. He stopped at the bulge on her left calf. He lifted her pants leg to reveal the cash. He grinned evilly at her as he yanked the sheath and its contents from her leg. He handed it to the woman.

"Twenty thousand US dollars," Ziva opted to speak first. "I have the diamonds in my pockets."

"Retrieve them!" the woman ordered. The man put his hands in Ziva's front pockets and leered in her face. He pulled the two bags of diamonds out and handed them to the woman. "Count the money, Rolfe, while I inspect the diamonds."

Ziva watched as the man counted the hundred dollar bills and the woman emptied the two pouches of diamonds onto the counter. Remain silent, she reminded herself.

Satisfied, the woman turned back to Ziva, "What is it you want? Tannaz is a very busy businesswoman." She nodded ever so slightly at Rolfe, who moved between Ziva and the door to the street.

'Do not panic,' Ziva took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. She could feel the man's eyes on her body; she brushed the thought that he was violating her with his eyes from her mind. Focus on the job. "I wish to speak with Tannaz about matters concerning Eli David."

"Your father; the late Mossad Director," the woman's tone was mocking as if trying to provoke an emotional response from Ziva.

"Eli David is merely a sperm donor to my life," Ziva spat out. "I wish to be free of his evil forever." She immediately regretted her angry words; she had said too much. Check the emotions; you are Mossad, she reminded herself.

The woman raised an eyebrow at Ziva's outburst, but said nothing. She opened a locked cabinet and removed a prepaid cell phone. She handed the phone to Ziva. "It will take at least a week to arrange a meeting with Tannaz. Keep this phone with you at all times. It is how we will make further contact with you and let you know any arrangements or developments."

Ziva nodded and put the phone in her pocket. The other woman gestured to Rolfe; Ziva tensed as he moved behind her.

"Betray us and I will have my way with you," he whispered in her ear as he passed by her to unlock the door.

"You will die first," she hissed back as she exited the shop.

One week turned into three weeks; Rolfe contacted Ziva each week to give her nothing new. Each call he simply stated that Tannaz was unavailable, but that she would be setting up a meeting soon. Ziva read books that she bought at two local used book stores, checked her secure email accounts at an internet café near the apartment, and waited.

The burner phone from her Rome contact startled Ziva awake at 0430 on 27 June. She answered on the third ring. Her contact briefly explained that there was good intel that Tannaz would be in Jerusalem near the second week of July to visit family. Ziva thanked him and immediately went to her stash of phones.

Ziva sent a text to Adam on one of the unused burn phones: ‚_Ich rufe nach Wilhelmine. Ich bin in Berlin. Ich bin im alten Haus Ihrer Mutter. Sofia_'

Within fifteen minutes, she had a reply, '_I will make sure she gets the message in 24 hours and securely_.' Adam would contact her via a secure email account the next day.


	4. Israel - June July

Chapter 4: Israel (June/July)

The El-Al flight from Berlin arrived in Tel Aviv at 0305 on 30 June. Ziva quickly passed through customs with her Kidon Sarai Perlman identification. She exited through the secure doors used by Mossad and other officials to the parking garage where she left the scooter over a month ago. It was still parked where she left it!

She made sure her backpack was secured closed and then slung the laptop case strap over her head so it was cross-body. She drove to the prearranged pick up site where Adam or Zevi had left a car for her to use. She found the nondescript vehicle and transferred her possessions into it. She started the engine and headed to Haifa. She would stay in the Haifa house for the night and then decide where to stay for the remainder of this time in Israel. She did not want to encounter anyone she knew if she could help it.

As she turned on to the street for the house, she stopped quickly. There was a car in the driveway of the house and a light on inside. She backed up and turned the car onto a cross street. She would park a block or two over and surveille the house from the shadows.

She crept into the yard of the next house and noticed movement on her house's porch. In the shadows, she could see the outline of a man sitting on one of the porch rocking chairs. She moved closer, and heard a familiar voice.

"Shh, Tali, Abba's got you baby girl. It was just a bad dream. Abba loves you," Tony spoke to the child in his arms. Ziva's heart skipped a beat; the two people she most wanted to be with were right there across the yard.

"Abba," her baby spoke. "Love you. Sing, pweese."

"Ken, Tali. Ani ohev otach, yaldati." In the shadows, Ziva smiled; of course Tony would learn Hebrew for his little girl!

She listened as Tony sang to their daughter; she nearly gasped aloud in shock as she realized that he was singing "Numi, numi!" It had been Tali's favorite lullaby for her Ima to sing. How had Tony learned it so quickly? She wiped tears from her face and fought the urge to run to them.

Tony stopped singing and continued to slowly rock their little girl. He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked out into the early morning darkness. Ziva noticed his raised head; she felt his soul reaching out to hers. '_Soon my love_.'

Ziva crept back to the car; she decided to head to the safe house in Yavne'el. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she drove; oh how she longed to turn around and walk into the Haifa house to be with her loves. She wiped her hand over her face; '_be strong, Ziva; stop this for them_…'

In Yavne'el, Ziva stopped at a grocery store for enough food for a week and then headed to the remote house. She spent the weekend at the safe house; not going outside at all. Her burn phones were quiet. She used the secure internet connection at the house to check her email accounts, especially the highly secure communications from her world-wide contacts. Still nothing from Monique and others. On a whim on 4 July, she decided to check the secure email account that Tim McGee had set up for the three MCRT members years ago.

There were messages from both Tim and Tony in the week preceding the mortar launch, and one each from the day after. She read all of the messages, wishing that she could reply. At least by reading the messages, she was sure Tim could tell that her account was active and the messages read. It would give them crucial information without giving away too much.

The final message was from Tony from 2 July: '_Ziva: I feel your presence every day, especially here in Haifa. I KNOW you were out there nearby on 30 June in the early morning when I was rocking Tali on the porch. I love you Zi; come home to us. Please_.'

"And I love you Tony," she whispered into the empty house. "Soon, my love; very soon, I hope." Ziva logged out of the account and shut down the computer. She grabbed a book off her stack and settled on the sofa to read.

The next five days were more of the same; check email, no calls on the burn phones, read the ever dwindling stack of books, eat, sleep, repeat. Ziva really wanted to be out and about scouting the places she knew that Tannaz could possibly be found, but knowing that Tony and Tali were in Israel kept her at Yavne'el. Not that she didn't want to see them; her heart practically begged her to go to them. Her head kept her in place telling her that she needed to complete this final mission before she could be with her two loves.

Late on 9 July, Ziva checked her secure email accounts again. A message from Tony, time stamped not thirty minutes prior, caught her attention. '_Sweetcheeks; found the key for Paris flat. Have flight there tomorrow am. Tali misses you and cries out for you every day. Her Abba misses you even more (and cries just as much as our baby.) See you in Paris. Ani ohev otach. Your little hairy butt_'

She waited until the late night hours of 10 July to drive to the Haifa house. No car in the driveway, no lights on inside; her heart sank just a little that Tony and Tali were no longer there. The key was in its place under the porch; Ziva smiled at the memories that came to mind with the key. She slipped inside and could immediately feel their presence in the house.

Ziva moved to Tali's room and sat on the bed; she could feel her baby's presence. She picked up the pillow and held it to her face inhaling her little girl's scent. Her heart ached and she stifled a sob. A stray pair of socks on the floor, a picture book on the nightstand, and a few strands of her baby's hair screamed of Tali having been in the room recently. Ziva touched each item slowly and deliberately trying to absorb the lingering energy from her daughter.

She carried the pillow to the master bedroom. Tony's presence almost overwhelmed her. She moved to the bed and laid her head on the pillow. Tony's distinctive smell filled her nostrils. She hugged Tai's pillow and sobbed for several minutes.

Done with the tears, Ziva sat up and resolved to end all threats to her family as soon as possible. She did not want to go any longer than necessary without them. She glanced around the bedroom, noticing the OSU t-shirt hanging over the back of a chair. She walked over and picked it up. A note fell to the floor.

'_Thought you would like this; guessing the old one is worn out by now. My shirts always look better on you! Ani ohev otach_.' Ziva smiled at the Hebrew letters; they were by no means perfect, but Tony had put some effort into making the shapes. She pulled the shirt over her head; his smell was strong, almost as though he had worn the shirt just before leaving and placed it for her to find.

Ziva kicked off her shoes and lay back on the bed, falling asleep hugging both pillows to her so that she could inhale the comforting scents of her loves.

The sun was streaming into the house when Ziva awoke in the morning. She checked the clock by the bed; 1017. She never intended to sleep past sun-up, but apparently her body had other plans. She did feel rested for the first time in forever, so she would not complain about allowing herself the luxury of sleeping in for one night.

After a shower, Ziva took out clothing that she had left in the closet in the master bedroom. Almost immediately she noticed that her bikini was missing. She hoped it brought Tony the same comfort that his OSU shirts brought to her. The cargo pants were loose but they would stay on her hips; she had not realized how much weight she'd lost in her time on the run.

In the kitchen she rummaged in the pantry and found tea, some unopened matzot, and canned fruit. While not an ideal meal, she figured it would do for now. As Ziva opened the tea canister, she noticed a note taped to the inside of the lid.

'_Five individual servings of lasagna in freezer; enjoy Sweetcheeks!_' How did she deserve this man; even in her absence he was thoughtful and loving. She grinned when she found the picture of Tali enjoying her Abba's lasagna in the drawer with the silverware. Her finger traced the face of her little one in the picture. Tali was wearing a good bit of the tomato sauce; her grin and twinkling eyes were all her Abba. Her wild curls stuck out in all directions.

Ziva could see small changes in Tali over the two months she'd been apart. From what she'd overheard of the conversation between the child and her father, her English skills were improving considerably, most likely thanks to Tony.

After her breakfast, Ziva roamed about the house. She found several more little things from Tony: a crayon 'drawing' from Tali, an SD card with pictures and videos of him and Tali, and two more notes. One note was with a lightweight sweater of his, '_Wrap this around you and feel my arms holding you again_.' The other was by the picture of the two of them from the summer of 2013 that sat on the mantel, '_I want to make more memories here with you, AND Tali_.'

"We will make a lot more memories, my love," she spoke aloud into the silent house.

Ziva decided to head to Tel Aviv and then to Jerusalem to check on possible sites for spotting and confronting Tannaz. On the drive between Haifa and Tel Aviv, she resolved to view the remains of the farmhouse. She wasn't sure if it was more out of curiosity or a need to put the past in the past forever, but figured the step was necessary.

She took the back road to the property, trying to avoid anyone who might recognize her, even with the short hair tucked under a hat. As she drove up to where the house used to be, the first thing she noticed was the gaping hole in the center of the ruins. She parked the car and got out to inspect the burnt remains. Marks on the ground indicated a backhoe and other equipment near the shell of the house. The hole was about the size of a room; perhaps Eli's secret bunker did exist. She turned away; she did not want to know any more.

Seeing the olive grove, she walked into the line of trees, carefully counting the rows and columns until she arrived where she wanted. She pulled her knife from its sheath in her pocket. The ground had been freshly disturbed. As she dug, she soon discovered that the box with her 'I will' list and the smaller box with the key to the Paris flat were gone. Tony must have taken both with him; that was good.

Ziva returned to the car; she felt no attachment to this place remaining. She looked around a final time at the trees of the olive grove and fruit orchards. She felt a peace come over her as she whispered into the slight breeze.

"I let go of the past and all its sorrow. I live in the present and look to the future."

The drive to Jerusalem was uneventful. Ziva parked near a shopping center close to the neighborhoods where Tannaz's family lived. She walked the residential area; her hat and sunglasses covering her head and face. She almost made it back to the car when the woman from the Berlin butcher market stepped into her path.

"You are either brave or stupid."

"Neither; I am determined," Ziva retorted. "I WILL meet with Tannaz and I WILL end the influence of Eli David on my life. He is the past; my future does not include his world, his far-reaching influence, or the ramifications of his legacy."


	5. Santiago and South America - August

Chapter 5: Santiago and South America (August)

Ziva spotted Monique Lisson almost immediately as she left the terminal at Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez better known as Santiago International Airport. The El Al flight to Madrid had been on time, smooth, and uneventful, arriving in the scheduled five and one quarter hours. Ziva used her Chilean id for Maria Rojas Ruiz and US cash to purchase the ticket from Ben Gurion airport.

Tannaz's assistant, who Ziva learned was her second in charge, told Ziva about a meeting of South American cartel leaders in about two weeks from the confrontation in Jerusalem. Nimat Dabiri was Tannaz's cousin on the mother's side. She was a year younger than Ziva. At first the two exchanged words with the guardedness of two strange cats in the night. When Ziva mentioned about being the sole living descendant of Eli, Nimat let down her guard. She and Ziva walked to a coffee shop near where Ziva parked her car.

Nimat told Ziva about the cartel meetings in Cartagena and Sao Paolo. She mentioned that Tannaz was sending a male to represent her interests at the meetings. Ziva thanked Nimat for the information and headed back to Haifa to research flight information and pack. She also contacted Monique's secure cell line and arranged for her mentor to meet her in Chile. They would use the house in Curacavi that Ziva inherited from Eli as a base while Ziva was in South America.

After a two and one half hour layover in Madrid, Ziva boarded for the twelve and one half hour flight to Santiago. She purchased three paperback books in the Madrid airport as well as a meal while waiting for the second leg of her trip on Iberia Airlines. All three books were left in the seat back pockets when Ziva deplaned in Santiago. She read them in between several short naps and a meal during the flight.

"Ziva," Monique greeted her old friend with a hug and kisses on each cheek. "I heard the news about…"

Ziva cut her off, "Not here; we will talk more at the house. It is good to see you too, my friend." The two women walked to Monique's rental car to head to the property. During the thirty minute drive, they chatted about the weather, shared acquaintances, and the Rio Olympics. Ziva could tell Monique was studying her, glancing over when she thought Ziva wasn't looking. She sighed inwardly; the 'elephant in the room,' Ziva's 'death,' would need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Monique pulled the car into the driveway of the house; Ziva pulled the key from the outer pocket of her backpack. As the older woman took her suitcase from the trunk of the car, Ziva unlocked the front door of the house. As with Eli's other properties, the rooms were furnished with functional pieces that screamed practical rather than decorative. The master bedroom was on one side of the living room, family room and kitchen with three smaller bedrooms on the opposite side of the house. Ziva and Monique each put their bags in one of the smaller rooms.

"Is that all you have?" Monique spotted Ziva's black backpack.

"It is enough," Ziva replied. "I have two changes of clothing, an extra set of underwear and socks, and two hats. That is all I need."

Monique shrugged, "More room for weapons that way as well." She knew Ziva well enough to know that the former Mossad officer would not be unarmed. In fact, Monique would bet money that her friend had at least two firearms and four or five knives in her bag, in her clothing, and/or attached to her body.

"I am unarmed," Ziva stated, looking her mentor in the eye. "I do not need to have weapons for what I have come to do."

"And that is?"

Ziva led Monique to the living room. As they entered the large room, Ziva gave the room a once-over, using her investigator's eye, rather than her spy's eye. The expected photo in a frame sat on the bookcase on the far wall from the entryway from the bedrooms' hallway. Ziva moved to the shelf, hoping to turn the photo so that Monique would not ask questions.

This picture was of Tony and Ziva outside Gibbs' house on Thanksgiving 2012. Ziva remembered the moment so well. Tony had come running out of the house when she pulled her Mini into the driveway, eager to learn her reaction to the opera performance he had set up in the bull pen sound system for her. He had started to ask her if she enjoyed the music when she had locked her lips on his, wrapping her arms around his neck at the same time. The two had almost decided to go back to her apartment and skip the team dinner. Eli's goons had snapped a picture of the two kissing.

"I knew it!" Monique startled Ziva back to the present. "The way you two looked at each other the last time I saw you; it was pure love…"

Ziva sighed, "We are not currently together; it is a long story and why I am here."

"I have the time to listen," Monique put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Tell me from the beginning." She led Ziva over to the sofa. The two sat facing each other as Ziva began. She started with the events of the spring of 2012, from the last time she had seen Monique.

"The last time I saw you, I was still processing the whole fiasco with Ray Cruz."

"The one who tried to propose and you ended up arresting him for murder?"

"One and the same. Tony was there; a best friend, a rock, someone to listen. We spent a lot of time together that spring and summer, and by the time that bomb went off at NCIS, we were realizing there was more than friendship.

"Tony and I got stuck in the elevator when the bomb damaged the building. We talked and opened up to each other even more and promised to share feelings. We called it the 'post-elevator us.' I guess that is when we both realized that it was love. Neither one of us is all that good at expressing feelings, but we communicated in other ways. I felt so safe and loved with him.

"Anyhow, he moved into my apartment that fall, although we kept up the pretense of separate places. Our relationship was a secret from everyone because we wanted to be sure it would work first before we shared with the team. Besides, Gibbs' rule twelve was always hanging over our heads."

"Rule twelve?"

"Never date a co-worker," Ziva recited the rule without hesitation. "He has or had a list of rules to live by. Rule nine is never go anywhere without a knife." She smiled as her mentor nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, long story made short; my… Eli was killed in January of 2013. Things spiraled out of control downward as a result. Through all of it, though, Tony was my rock. He was always there for me, even when I did not feel that I deserved it. He helped me track down the killer, and we went to Berlin to find Ilan. We went to a club where he was supposed to make a contact. We danced as a way to surveille the club…" Ziva paused lost in the memory of that night.

Monique looked over at the Israeli as she got quiet. Ziva was lost in her memories; a tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. Monique put her hand on her friend's clasped hands giving a gentle squeeze. Ziva gave her a small smile in return and stood up.

"I will continue this story, but first, let us find something to eat. I have not had a meal since the flight from Madrid!"

"We passed that sandwich shop on the way here and several other places. Do you want to eat there or bring it back here?" Monique remembered several restaurants on the main road through Curacavi as they drove to the house.

Ziva thought a minute and then responded, "Sandwiches are fine with me; we can get them to bring back here and maybe some wine or beer as well." The two headed to the sandwich shop, placed orders, and as they waited for the food to be prepared, Monique selected several bottles of beer and wine to take back to the house with the sandwiches. Thirty minutes later, the pair was enjoying the food and alcoholic beverages in the kitchen of the house.

Ziva swallowed a bite of her burger, "Where was I on the story? Oh, yes, Berlin…" She took a swig of beer and continued. "We danced in the club in Berlin; it was… magical. We got lost in each other's eyes and I felt like I was drunk afterward. Unfortunately, that feeling passed quickly as I spotted our target. It turned out to be Ilan's brother Yaniv.

"Back in the US, we realized that Ilan had never left the DC area. We found him and I confronted him on a ship in the Port of Baltimore. We fought and Ilan fell off the ship onto… " Ziva hesitated, not really wanting to relive that moment. "He died at the scene. I felt that I had avenged the death of Eli and of Jackie Vance, but it did not matter. All of the death that had surrounded my life was closing in on me.

"I was a mess; the injuries from the fight…" Ziva choked on tears. She looked at Monique as the older woman put her hands on Ziva's.

"Cry, my friend; it is good to let it out." Ziva nodded.

"I had a miscarriage at twelve weeks; Tony and I lost a child," Ziva's sobs shook her body. Monique wrapped her arms around her friend. "To me it was a sign that I needed to change, to get rid of all of the pain and death that had been a part of who I was. I fled to Israel; but Tony found me. We spent half of the summer of 2013 together. He was so understanding, so patient with me as I fought with the demons in my mind." She sniffled and wiped at her nose and eyes with a paper napkin. I felt that I did not deserve him.

"He ran out of time off, and I sent him back to DC without me. I broke his heart, Monique. He may never forgive me for that."

"Oh, do not be so sure of that; I could tell even in 2012 that he loved you with everything in him. Ziva, he would get you the moon, if you asked him for it," Monique squeezed Ziva's hands in reassurance.

Ziva smiled thinly, "There's more though that he has every right not to forgive…"

Monique raised an eyebrow in curiosity and nodded at the younger woman to continue.

"About six weeks after he left, I found out that I was pregnant. Yes, it was his child; there is no one else it could be, ever. I was terrified, especially about losing another baby. Talia Elisheva was born in June of 2014; she is the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

"Where is your daughter now?"

"Just before her second birthday, there were threats against my life from multiple sources. Trent Kort wanted me dead to protect himself from information supposedly in secret files that Eli kept in the farmhouse where we lived. Several South American cartels were seeking information about me, and making inquiries about where I was living. They too were seeking Eli's secret files. As if that was not enough of a threat, Tannaz and her network have been trying to determine the whereabouts of these same files. Kort hired a mercenary to kill me with mortars. Tannaz had a contract on my life as well.

"Farsoun could not bring himself to fire the mortar round to destroy the farmhouse because it was Tali's home. He lost his children in a bombing. I fired the round for him; after I arranged for our daughter to be taken to her father in the US. She is with him now where she is safe from those who wish me harm or worse. I am going to stop the influence of Eli David once and for all for my child."

"Oh, Ziva; I don't know what to say," Monique hugged her protégé.

"There is nothing to say," Ziva steeled herself for the argument she knew was coming. "I need your help."

Monique nodded, "Whatever you need."

Ziva sighed, "You may want to hear me out before you agree. I am here to confront the cartel lords. I have information that they will be meeting in Cartagena next week and in Sao Paolo the following week. I am going to walk into their meetings and give them their time to tell me why they wish me dead.

"I plan to go unarmed; if they kill me, so be it. My daughter will be safe because no one will be after me anymore. If they let me leave, we will have come to an understanding that they are to stay away from my family and from me. All I want is to live my life with my family without having to look over my shoulder, or having to worry that I am being watched, hunted, or worse.

"Is that too much to ask? I want the albatross of Eli David to be gone from my life. I want my family." Ziva let her tears fall as she spoke. She looked at her mentor; would Monique help or did she think Ziva to be insane?

"Oh, Ziva; I cannot even begin to fathom your pain. Do you remember when I told you to make your choices wisely? Not to look back on a lifetime of cold beds and memories?" Ziva nodded. "You must stop running from the past, my friend. You need to be running in the present and to the future. You have a child; you have a future. Go to your daughter; go to Tony; make a family and make a future. Leave Eli and the messes he created in the past. I will say it again: don't look for happiness from others, Ziva. People make too many mistakes. Look to yourself. That is where you will find it."

"I HAVE to do this, Monique. It is necessary to putting the past in the past forever. All I ask of you is to get me to the meetings. You can stay out of the confrontations; that battle is mine alone." Ziva was determined to end the influence of Eli David with this trip. She had one more confrontation after the cartel bosses; Tannaz may be elusive, but Ziva vowed to find her and confront her as well.

The older woman saw the fire in the Israeli's eyes; she realized that Ziva would make these confrontations happen with or without her help. "I will do what you need me to do," she replied quietly. "Even if I don't agree, I will help you."

"Thank you; now let us get some rest. Tomorrow will be a day of making plans."

~South America~

Monique got one of her contacts who owned a jet to agree to take Ziva and herself to Cartagena and to Sao Paolo. Ziva confirmed the meeting locations with Nimat via secure email. Tannaz's representative to Cartagena was a Jordanian by birth. Karam Nafiq looked to be all of twenty years old in the image Ziva received. Nimat send a dossier; something Ziva had not expected. It would come in handy should she need to have the upper hand. Depending on how the Cartagena meeting went, Karam could also be the representative in Sao Paolo.

Ziva read over the file on the nine hour plane ride to Cartagena. She memorized the direction to the house where the meeting was taking place. She paced the aisle of the jet. She tried to rest on the sofa bed in the back of the plane, but the excitement, anticipation, and nervousness kept her mind spinning. It was like running an op or mission back in the old days; the adrenalin rush so familiar even years later. The big difference this time is that she was not following anyone's orders; there was no 'greater good' for this mission. It was all about her family and their safety. It was about the happiness of Ziva David and the two loves of her life.

She must have finally drifted to sleep as the next thing she remembered was Monique's hand on her shoulder gently shaking her awake.

"We have landed; you can still change your mind, Ziva," Monique spoke quietly as she watched the younger woman stir from her sleep.

Ziva stretched and yawned, "I will not back down. I have to do this." Monique saw the fire in Ziva's eyes, the fierce determination of the Ziva from so many years ago. Ziva the warrior was not one to be discounted or ignored. This Ziva the warrior was also Ziva the mama bear. Heaven help anyone who tried to get in her way, especially if it meant harm to her child.

Monique, Ziva, and the pilot made their way to the house that Monique had arranged for their two day stay in Cartagena. By the time they set their bags in the individual rooms, darkness had fallen. Ziva quickly changed clothing to her black pants and hoodie. She slipped out of the house while Monique and Mateo were making plans for dinner. The less they knew of her plans, the better for all.

She made her way to the house where the meeting would take place the next morning. The property was surrounded by a stone fence with metal spikes on the top of the wall. Two gates provided entrance to the grounds. Ziva checked the front gate; it was locked. She moved to the rear gate and pushed. It swung open with a bit of effort.

She used the shadows to approach the house, hugging the sides as she made her way around the perimeter. She looked into windows when she could, hoping to get a sense of the layout of the house. By chance, she came upon a window that was opened about two inches. She carefully pushed the window panel upward creating enough of a gap to climb through. Inside, she lowered the window back to its original position.

She was in what appeared to be a dining room; there were a large table, at least a dozen chairs, and several side pieces in the room. Possible meeting room, she noted to herself. She moved quietly into the adjoining room, and stealthily explored the house. To her surprise, no one was inside. She wondered if they had a security plan for the next day. She was checking out one of the bedrooms when she heard voices.

She looked around the room and noticed a closet. She opened the door and saw a panel in the ceiling of the closet that appeared to lead to the house's attic. She quickly climbed to the shelf and lifted the panel out of the way. She hoisted herself into the attic and slid the panel back into place as the voices got louder.

From what Ziva could tell, three people had entered the house; two men and a woman. The woman was directing in Spanish to complete a sweep of the house's interior. Good thing she had found her hiding place when she did. She could hear the men moving about the various rooms, conducting their sweep. The woman sounded as though she was talking on a phone or communications device to someone not at the house. Ziva heard her mention the property and yard, as well as the house next door. She flattened herself to the ceiling joists as she heard the closet door swing open. A thud on the panel and then silence.

"Está vacía," one of the men reported as Ziva could hear his voice moving away. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She continued to listen as they inspected the rooms. The woman's voice was coming from the direction of the dining room. Ziva could hear her describing security measures to someone. She was glad she had a hiding place but wondered how long she would have to stay in the attic.

Six hours later, Ziva was stiff from having to remain just about motionless in the attic. She could tell that her body had softened with age and motherhood. Her younger self would have been much more flexible and able to withstand the prolonged inactivity. She also realized that she was most likely stuck there for the night. The woman and her team had set up shop in the house in preparation for the meeting. From the conversations overheard, the main players were expected to show at the house between 0730 and 0830. Ziva checked her watch; 0452. While this had definitely not been her plan for confronting the cartel leaders, she had to admit the element of surprise from within was brilliant. She could not have planned better.

At 0845 there were no more sounds of arrivals and she could hear one of the men in the dining room calling the others to the table. She would wait another ten to fifteen minutes and drop from the attic into the bedroom closet. At 0903, she slowly lifted the panel and moved it to the side to expose the opening to the room below. She dropped through the hole into the closet and pushed the door open. She listened to the voices from the dining room.

She moved to the bedroom doorway and listened again. If the woman's plans had been executed as described, there should be no one between Ziva and the dining room. She moved into the hallway making no sound. At the door to the dining room she paused and then pushed the two glass doors open.

The sound of weapons being drawn and aimed at her filled the air. She was about to speak when a familiar voice called out.

"ZIVA?"

She looked towards the voice. "Ayal? What are you doing here? Mah atah 'osseh peh?" she repeated the question in Hebrew.

"Who is this woman? What do you want woman? I can have you killed without any provocation," the group leader shouted at her.

"Ziva David," Ayal Dahan had been Eli's personal assistant for many years. Ziva had not seen him since 2012. "Eli's only surviving relative. Yusef can corroborate her identity. He has known her longer than I have."

Ziva looked at her father's long-time assistant and saw that he was motioning at the man to his left. Yusef Cohen had been another of Eli's personal supporters, pledging his loyalty to Eli alone.

"Yusef? Ayal?" Ziva looked from one to the other. What were they doing with the cartel members? Why were they here? She would have thought them long retired and off the grid since Eli's death.

"It is better that you do not know, Ziva," Yusef responded. He turned to the leader of the meeting. "Diego, leave her be. She is can be trusted and she will not harm anyone here. Let her explain why she is here."

The man nodded to Ziva, "Dime, por favor. ¿Por qué está aquí? Tell me…" As he started to translate to English, Ziva held up a hand.

"Yo hablo español," she answered. "I am here to get the legacy of Eli David off of my back. I am not a part of his world and I wish no harm to any of you. I want Eli's far-reaching evil to be as far away from me as possible. He and I were not on good terms when he died. I know nothing of any secret files other than the rumors that they may exist."

Diego looked to the others. Only Tannaz's representative was shaking his head to the negative. Ziva would deal with him later. She knew where he was staying.

"You have a lot of courage coming here. I wish I had someone like you in my organization. We are well aware of who you are and of your alleged death in the mortar attack a few months ago. I assure you, we have, through Señor Dahan and Señor Cohen, closed any interest in you and your connection to Eli David. You have my assurance that this group will no longer be a threat to you."

The others nodded agreement as Karam stood up. "NO! She is as evil as her father. We must take her life now or she will destroy us. Tannaz will be pleased that the last of the family of Eli David will be gone."

Diego motioned to the guards who still had their weapons aimed at Ziva. They swung around and aimed at Karam. "You will agree to leave Ziva David unharmed with the rest of our group or you will die." Karam looked around at the others; he had a panicked look in his eyes. Tannaz would not be pleased if he allowed this to happen.

"I am prepared to die; kill me." The men with the weapons looked to Diego for the order to shoot.

"Wait!" Ziva moved closer to Karam. She put her hand at his throat with just enough pressure on his neck to let him know that she could kill him with her hands if she so chose. "Where is Tannaz?" she hissed in his face.

He glared at her in stony silence; she pressed a bit harder to emphasize her message.

"Where is Tannaz?" she asked again, but a bit louder. She pressed just a bit more and watched as Karam paled. She felt his resistance falter, but still was only given a silent glare.

"This is your last chance, where is Tannaz?" Ziva pressed ready to cause him to pass out if he still refused to answer.

Karam glared at her and then whispered, "Berlin. She's been there since May." Ziva released her grip on his neck and gave him a small smile of satisfaction. She noticed the wet spot on the front of his pants. She turned to Diego and nodded before striding out of the room. She yanked open the front door and headed out to the street. A woman started to approach her with her hand gun drawn. Ziva shot her a glare. The woman's phone signaled an incoming message. She glanced down at the phone, and Ziva used the distraction to sprint to the front gate. As she slipped through, the woman turned away.

Ziva made her way back to the house where Monique and Mateo were having brunch. She walked in as though nothing had happened. Monique took one look at the fiery look in Ziva's eyes and decided to let the mama bear calm down before asking any questions.

"Hola! What is for brunch? I am starving."

~South America~

The trip to Sao Paolo was very anti-climactic. Ziva slept for almost the entire nine hour plus flight curled on the sofa bed. She did not move from the position she fell asleep and when Monique put a lightweight blanket over her friend, Ziva didn't respond. Monique was still curious as to what transpired in Cartagena, but she knew not to push. Ziva would tell her when and if she wanted.

Once in Sao Paolo, Ziva scoped out the building where the meeting was to take place. As she was moving around the building and its grounds, Ayal stepped from a vehicle parked near the street. Yusef exited the opposite side of the car.

"Ziva; you are safe. Believe me when I say that. You do not need to confront any of the others. Word has gotten out about what you did in Cartagena. You do not need to worry about your safety from the cartels anymore," Ayal spoke in Hebrew.

Yusef nodded, "And by the way, they were quite impressed with your courage."

"Toda," Ziva looked from one to the other. Her father's two closest assistants and friends. The three had met in IDF basic training; beyond that Ziva had no wish to know more of the story. She knew that both men had pledged their loyalty to Eli and not to Mossad, or any other entity. She was sure that their loyalty had made them very rich men in the end.

"It has nothing to do with courage. I just want my family safe," Ziva was not quite sure why she trusted these two, but she knew it was safe to tell them about her daughter.

"Ah, yes, little Talia DiNozzo…" Yusef smiled. "Eli would be pleased to know he was a Saba."

"How…" Ayal held up a hand.

"You do not need to know how we know; just be assured that you have our blessing. Go home, Ziva; go to your family and have a long and happy life. You deserve it. Shalom."

"Toda and shalom," Ziva had barely spoken the reply when the two men were in the car and gone. She headed back to the house where she. Monique, and Mateo were staying. She felt as though a great weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

Monique noticed the change in Ziva's demeanor immediately. She smiled at Ziva and drew the younger woman into a hug.

"Perhaps I was wrong to discourage you, Ziva. Whatever peace you have found, may it stay with you for the remainder of your days on Earth."

"Thank you, Monique. I have one more thing to do and then I can go home to Tali and Tony. Tannaz does not know it yet, but she will be having a visitor very soon," Ziva resolved to find Tannaz within the next month. Tali and Tony were waiting for their family to be complete.

Back in Curacavi, Ziva logged in to the secure email. She sent Tony a message to retrieve her US passport from the safety deposit box at the bank in Haifa and leave it for her in the Haifa house. Tony knew about the wall safe in the master bedroom. Her next stop would be Israel for a brief stop to retrieve her US passport. Once in her possession, it would be her only identification for the remainder of her life. The fake identities would be tossed into the past with Eli David and his legacy.


	6. Berlin Again - Late August Early September

Chapter 6: Berlin Again (Late August/early September)

Ziva quickly realized that she would need to give Tony time to get to Israel and get the passport for her. She forced herself to wait a week to depart Chile for Tel Aviv. Most of the time she spent at the Curacavi house reading a stack of books that she purchased at several used book stores in Santiago. Just for her own sanity, she drove over to the beaches of Valparaiso for an overnight trip.

Since she had the time, she searched for deals on the flights to Tel Aviv. For someone who was so accustomed to acting on the spur of the moment or reacting quickly, the thought of booking a flight early to get a deal actually made her laugh out loud. God, when was the last time she had been able to laugh, especially at herself? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

The thought that this would also be her last time travelling with an altered ID also popped into her head. The idea was both frightening and comforting at the same time. Ziva David, mother; Ziva David, lover; Ziva David, did she dare hope for more?

Finally the day came for her flight to Rome and then on to Tel-Aviv. Because of the way the time zones changed, this trip would take the same number of hours, but her arrival times would be way later than traveling westward. The layover in Rome was scheduled at nearly six hours, adding to an already long trip. Pretty much, her next two days would be travelling or waiting to travel to the next stop. Her arrival in Tel-Aviv was scheduled for 2255 two days out.

A delay in take-off in Rome added another two hours and thirteen minutes to her travel time. It was almost 0030 when she walked through the arrivals gate in Israel. She flashed her Sarai Perlman credentials at the security guards and was waved through. Ziva had to nearly drag her tired body to the parking deck where she had put the scooter before she left for South America. Being familiar with Mossad procedures was something for which she was grateful at times; this was one of them.

The drive to Haifa was quiet and because of the lack of moon, she could see many stars in the night sky. Parts of the Milky Way were visible; an awesome sight to behold and one Ziva had spent very little time appreciating in recent years. Her thoughts flashed back to nights on the beaches of Haifa with Tony in 2012 and 2013. Could she dare hope for more nights like those?

A little over an hour after leaving Ben Gurion airport, Ziva pulled the scooter into the driveway of the Haifa house. She retrieved the key from under the porch and made note to herself to get a duplicate key made in the near future. Once inside, she made a beeline for the master bedroom and stripped off her travel clothes. She pulled Tony's OSU shirt out of her backpack and slipped it over her head. She just about fell on to the bed, exhausted, and was asleep within minutes.

~Ziva~

The sun was shining when Ziva next was aware of her surroundings. She glanced at the clock by the bed; 0947. She had not intended to sleep late, but as before, figured she had needed the sleep and let it go. Today would be a rest day no matter, because she wanted to be refreshed and ready for the final leg of this 'mission.' She rose and took care of needs, then drifted in the direction of the kitchen. If memory served her well, there should be one more frozen serving of lasagna in the freezer. She pulled open the door and saw not only the last packaged serving of lasagna, but also two more containers of food. A smile lit up her face as she read the handwritten labels; chicken and vegetables, and eggplant parmesan. She ran her finger over Tony's scrawled words. Whatever karma or fates had put him into her life needed to be profusely thanked. She hoped that she could be as good a partner to him in the near future as he was to her already.

She put the eggplant food container in the microwave and wandered about the living areas of the house. Small, subtle signs of Tony and Tali's presence were everywhere; the slightly disheveled stack of toddler books on the coffee table; the remote for the TV and DVD player sitting on the arm of the sofa; a child's sock under the end table. The beep of the microwave shook her from her thoughts.

After the meal, Ziva showered and dressed in fresh clothes from her closet. She dumped every clothing item from the backpack into the washer. The jeans from the closet were loose, but she found a belt to keep them from falling off her hips. She moved to the mirror over the dresser; she could tell she'd lost weight in her time on the move. The slight belly from having a baby remained; perhaps a status symbol of passing to motherhood… Her curves seemed more rounded as well; would Tony like her new body?

She shook her head to clear it; enough of the what ifs. She needed to focus on the last step of her journey; the confrontation with Tannaz.

She lifted the picture from the wall above the bed and exposed the safe. After placing the picture to the side, she spun the dial with the numbers that had more importance to her life than almost any others. Her birthday, Tony's birthday, and the date she first walked into the NCIS bullpen. Only one other set had as much importance, Tali's birthday. The safe door opened and Ziva picked up the pile of documents and items left for her; her US passport, her Virginia driver's license, and an envelope with two keys, one labelled 'Haifa' and the other 'Paris.' He had done it yet again; connected with her on a soul level and figured out what she needed.

"Ani ohevet otcha, Tony," Ziva spoke aloud.

She took all of the other passports and alternate identity documents from her backpack. She placed the stack into the safe and slammed it shut. She then changed her mind and re-opened the safe. She took out the fake identities and carried the pile to the fireplace. She found a lighter and set fire to the pile, watching the documents curl and burn until nothing but a small pile of ashes remained. Like the phoenix, Ziva David would rise anew, stronger and better than ever.

The washing machine signaled the end of the wash cycle; clothes were moved to the dryer. Ziva took the dustpan and small broom from the laundry room and swept up the ash pile. She took the dustpan to the back yard intending to bury the ashes. A slight breeze disturbed the pile, sending the ash bits scattering to the yard. Ziva smiled; another sign from the universe that she no longer needed to stay hidden.

A day later, 5 September, the remaining frozen meals were gone, Ziva was rested, and she was ready to purchase her ticket to Berlin using her US passport and ID. She walked to the airline ticketing counter to make her one-way ticket purchase. She handed over her documentation to the sales rep.

"Here you go, Ms. David; enjoy your trip," the El Al ticket agent smiled at her as she handed Ziva her credentials, ticket, and boarding pass in exchange for US dollars.

Ziva moved to the line for security. She watched her surroundings but with her OSU shirt, jeans, and backpack, she realized she looked just like an American tourist. The guard motioned her through the scanner and nodded. She picked up her backpack and computer and headed to her departure gate. For the first time in too long, she actually felt that she was free to move as she pleased; that no one was watching her. It felt damn good!

Six hours later, Ziva was on the bus from the Berlin airport into the city. She transferred to another bus to get close to the Berlin apartment, stopping at a small market between the bus stop and the apartment to purchase some food for the evening meal. Tomorrow she would buy some additional groceries after scoping out the butcher shop and the apartments above it. Based on the information from Karam, she was almost certain Tannaz was living above the butcher shop.

For the next three days, Ziva watched the butcher shop and the building above it from a book store across the street. She noted a side access to the building, and when she walked across the street to check out the entry, she found herself in a stairwell. The stairs went to both upper floors of the building. On the second floor, there were two distinct areas that appeared to be offices or small living quarters. The top floor seemed to be one unit. A noise from the hallway prompted a quick exit and retreat to the book store.

She used her computer to research the building information in public records. She confirmed what she'd guessed; the second floor was registered as two businesses. One was an importer of goods from various countries around the world; the other a property management company. The butcher occupied the entire ground floor according to public records. The top floor was listed as residential.

Most likely the businesses were fronts for Tannaz's vast network; as was the butcher. Ziva figured she lived on the top floor, managing her network from the building without being seen. The side entrance and the door to the butcher shop were the main entry points for the building. The only other outside door was on the back of the ground floor and it appeared to be sealed shut.

On the morning of 10 September, Ziva slipped through the entry door on the side of the building at 0830. She climbed the stairs to the top floor and picked the lock to the door from the stairwell. She looked around and noticed an entry foyer leading to various other rooms. Not a person was in sight, which Ziva thought was unusual. Perhaps Tannaz was so arrogant that she figured she was safe in her building?

Ziva kept to the shadows, making her way to the hallways from the entrance. She chose the hallway to the right first, silently creeping along the wall. She came to an open door and peeked into the room. Tannaz was sitting at a desk with her back to the door.

Ziva entered the room; silently stepping over the polished wood floor. Tannaz turned and spotted Ziva. The look on her face caused Ziva to bite the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. What had Tony called that look? 'Deer in the lights?' No, not quite what she wanted; 'deer in the headlights,' that was it.

"ZIVA?" Tannaz was incredulous. "Ziva David?"

Ziva nodded and grinned at her nemesis. "In the flesh, Tannaz."

"How did you get in here?" the woman demanded. "I should call my security team and have them kill you."

"But you will not," Ziva retorted. "You want to know the answers more than you want me dead."

Tannaz spun her chair around to face Ziva. "I could kill you myself."

Again Ziva smiled, "But you will not. If you truly wished me dead, you would have shot instead of speaking. Your weapon is too obvious." She nodded at the large box on the corner of the desk.

"What do you want, Ziva? I have no use for anyone named David!"

"I want you to stop this vendetta against me. I have done nothing to you. We were once friends," Ziva explained. "I am not Eli."

Tannaz shifted slightly as Ziva dared to step closer to the other woman. She maintained eye contact, and came closer to the desk.

"Why should I let you live? Your father killed my family in cold blood. They had done nothing wrong. Suddenly we were alone, my mother and I. My father, my brothers… all gone with one order from the evil Eli David."

"I am not Eli; I did not authorize any killing, Tannaz. You know that deep inside of you. What happened to the girl who danced beside me? The girl who wanted everyone to be kind and gentle and get along?" Ziva continued to hold the other woman's gaze.

"I had reason to change, Ziva. That girl was naïve; she did not know of the evils in the world. The evils like Eli David. Surely you can understand," Tannaz bored her gaze into Ziva's.

Ziva was about to respond when a movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She glanced to the side, noticing a portable crib and a small infant. The baby moved again and made a mewling sound.

Tannaz looked to the baby and then at Ziva. She motioned towards the baby, "He is ready for a feeding."

Ziva nodded, "Go to him; I will not stop you. I wish you no harm."

Tannaz picked up the baby; Ziva could see the blue sleeper that seemed a size too big on the tiny body. Tannaz took a bottle from a warmer and sat in the padded chair near the crib. She gently touched the bottle to the baby's lips and cheeks and encouraged him to take the nipple into his mouth.

"They are not always easy to feed, are they?" Ziva commented.

Tannaz nodded, "He was born in May at twenty eight weeks gestation. He was so small and fragile. He was on feeding tubes until he was old enough to learn to suckle. It is still a process to get him to work for the milk."

"He is your life," Ziva commented.

Tannaz looked up quickly as Ziva continued softly, "I have a daughter. She turned two in June. I have not been able to see her since May when I sent her to her father."

"The mortar attack," Tannaz stated. "You were thought to be dead. That is what Mossad told others. They had retrieved your body and given you a proper Jewish burial."

"That is a story for another day. I came today to see if we can strike a deal, Tannaz. I want to live my life as a mother, just as you do," Ziva spoke quietly but forcefully. "That is all I ask of you."

Tannaz chuckled, "I heard about Karam. You are a force that is not to be ignored, Ziva. How do I know that I can trust you?"

Ziva gave a sarcastic "hah" and shrugged. "Do you have a choice? I am not Mossad; I am not an NCIS agent; I am not going to harm you, Tannaz."

"For some odd reason…" Tannaz was cut off by a strange gurgling sound from the infant. She removed the bottle from his mouth but he continued to make the sound.

Ziva reacted to the choking baby by grabbing him from his mother and placing his tiny body along her forearm, his head in her hand. She lowered his head slightly and rolled him face down onto her other arm. With her free hand she gave several sharp blows between the tiny shoulder blades. Vomit rolled out of his little mouth as Ziva slid her hand to check for pulse on his neck. She turned him face up and used her pinky to sweep his mouth clear of any remaining vomit. As he let out a mewling wail, Ziva raised him up and cradled the tiny body in her arm. "Shh, motek, you are going to be okay."

Tannaz reached over for her baby, her face lined with tears. Ziva handed him over to his mother, smiling as she passed the baby to waiting arms.

"Ziva, I do not know what to say," Tannaz was genuinely grateful for Ziva's quick actions.

"You do not need to say anything."

"You probably saved his life," Tannaz's tears ran over her cheeks. "Go to your daughter, Ziva. Thank you."


	7. Paris - September

Chapter 7: Paris (September)

Ziva left Tannaz feeding the baby and headed back to the apartment. She felt as though her life was finally her own. On the way, she purchased a prepared meal to have for her dinner; no need to have a lot of food in the apartment since she would be leaving within the next day or so.

She ate the meal while checking for flights. It occurred to her that she needed to go to Tel Aviv for one last trip before heading to Paris. The conversation with Tannaz about Mossad's disinformation was bothering her. If Mossad had spread the word that she was dead, what did that mean for her identifying documents; for her bank accounts; for her life? Would she need to re-establish her identity or prove that she was indeed alive? Better to take care of any issues there before reuniting with Tony and Tali. And in Ziva's mind, since Mossad had planted the seed of her 'death,' Mossad could fix any problems related to said 'death.'

Ziva found a flight to Tel Aviv on 13 September, the earliest available unless she chose to fly stand-by. No, she wanted something confirmed; no need to sit in the Berlin airport waiting for an open seat. She would be better off booking a confirmed seat and resting for the travel to Israel, even though given her choice, she would be in Paris at the moment.

Ziva reflected on the four months since she sent her baby to Tony. Four long, agonizingly slow, lonely, and stress-filled months. Four months of her little girl's life that Ziva could never recover; oh, god, what a fool she had been to keep Tali from her Abba for twenty-three months! Tony had every right to be angry with her; she deserved that anger. He was probably hurting over missing out on the child's first two years. Ziva vowed that she would spend the rest of her days apologizing and making it up to him. How selfish and narrow-minded she had been in shutting him out. Her mind had convinced her that he had moved on from her; her heart never believed that, but the demons that had tortured her mind had also mocked her heart.

She thought back to watching Tony with Tali at the Haifa house in July from the shadows. He was everything she thought he would be as a father and then some. Listen to your heart, Ziva… A smile formed as she remembered his voice as he sang 'Numi, numi' to their baby.

Ziva woke up to a darkened apartment; her computer has long ago gone into sleep mode. She shifted on the sofa; not the best place to fall asleep. She sat up and stretched her back and neck. The ambient light from the street was enough for her to find her phone on the coffee table.

0430; Ziva checked the date as well as the time. She had slept nearly fourteen hours; a sleep well-earned after her accomplishments of the past month. The time had come for Ziva David to put the past to rest; to embrace the present; to look forward to the future. A future that included her family: Tali and, dare she hope, Tony. Realistically, she knew that she and Tony would have a lot to work through to make their family whole and to build a future. But she now had hope where she had not before. The threats had been neutralized; she and Tannaz had come to an understanding. The bond of mothers who only wanted a future of hope and peace for their children had brought the childhood friends out of the darkness of hate and resentment.

Ziva passed the time waiting for her flight to Tel Aviv by reading the last of the books she bought. On a trip out to buy some food, she spotted a copy of 'The Little Prince' in a used book store window. The illustrated children's version of the classic tale beckoned her. Inside, she found another edition in Hebrew and purchased both. These books would make the journey to Paris. She would introduce the magic of the Little Prince to Tali!

The night before the flight, she washed every piece of clothing she had with her; as she folded the clean clothes and packed her backpack, the fact that she had travelled the world with three changes of clothes and a jacket was not lost on her. Another reason to go back to Israel; she could pack up more clothing from the Haifa house. Ziva David was ready to go HOME, not to a place, but to her daughter, and if he'd have her, to Tony. Home… her something permanent… her 'happily ever after' perhaps…

The flight to Israel arrived nearly thirty minutes earlier than scheduled. Ziva checked through customs, showing her US passport. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when the customs officer called over the supervisor, her passport in his hand as he spoke to the older woman. Both glanced over at Ziva several times; she did her best to maintain her cool. Her heart was racing, her mind going ninety miles an hour in what if scenarios. 'Please let me pass though,' the mantra ran through her mind as she tried not to panic.

Both officers looked at the supervisor's cell phone for a few minutes. Then the young officer walked back to Ziva. He extended her passport, "Sorry about the delay; enjoy your stay in Israel."

Ziva let out a breath she did not realize that she had been holding; she was not quite sure what had just transpired at the customs check. At this point, she was not about to question that things had gone in her favor, though. As she rode the scooter to Haifa she made mental to-do lists; get fresh clothing from the house; get some food; make a plan about getting to Mossad and getting to Orli; buy the one-way ticket to Paris…

Once at the house, she quickly moved through to the master bedroom. She pulled open the closet and dresser drawers, estimating how much of the clothing she would take with her. She opted for traveling light and taking only what she could stuff into the backpack. That allowed her to add only two more sets of clothing, plus Tony's sweater. Both OSU shirts had already been with her. Next step, contact Orli.

Ziva dialed the direct line for the Mossad Director's office; Orli had not changed the number from that used by Eli so Ziva knew it from memory. The call went straight to messaging.

'_Shalom, Orli. I need to meet with you as soon as possible. I am at the Haifa house_.' Ziva did not bother to give a call back number; she knew Mossad was probably already tracking the call and had the number within seconds of the connection. Now to wait for the call back from Orli.

As the afternoon turned to evening, Ziva realized that she may not hear back from the Mossad Director that day. She used the time to clean files and cookies off her computer; no need in keeping the past even in electronic form. She thought about giving the computer to Adam for his kids, but then decided to keep it for now. As night darkened the sky, she rummaged through the pantry for food. Tomorrow would have to be a food shopping trip for sure as she was figuring three or four days in Israel to make sure all loose ends were tied up.

The nearly full moon lit up the yard; Ziva felt a pull outside. She put on her walking shoes and headed to the beach. A walk on the moonlit sands would be just the distraction she needed. On the path to the beach, memories flooded back. Her three year old self with teen-aged Tony; times with her Ima, Ari, Tali and Doda Nettie in the summers; the nights in November 2012; the summer days and nights in 2013; taking Tali to the beach in 2015… All happy memories; she recalled Tony's note from earlier in the summer. Yes, she too wanted to make many more happy memories in Haifa with Tony and Tali. As she walked the moonlit sands, a vision of children playing came to her. Her children with their Abba, laughing and splashing in the surf. A dream she had as a child; a boy and a girl of her own, who called her 'Ima' and ran happily without cares.

Ziva sat on the sand; she lay back and looked at the night sky. The moon, the stars, the vast universe was all there for her to enjoy, to reach for her dreams, to find her 'something permanent.' Ziva felt a great peace for the first time since she was a young child. She had finally broken the cycle of death and destruction, the curse of being a David, and taken hold of her future and her destiny. As cliché as it sounded, she had empowered herself to live her best life. She was an eagle, soaring above the storms; she was a phoenix, arising from the ashes even stronger than before.

'_I am Ziva David, I am a mother, a partner, a friend, a daughter, a sister_,' her journey had taken her far from where her path seemed to be leading at one point in time. She liked this new path; she embraced it with her entire being. She was finally whole.

~Ziva~

Orli finally called Ziva the afternoon after she arrived in Israel. She agreed to meet with Ziva and help her with making sure there were no complications to reappearing from the dead. Much to Ziva's relief, no official death certificate had been created, either in Israel or in the United States. Her US passport and her Virginia driver's license were still valid documents, and had no flags or other questionable indicators should someone run them through a check. The process took almost four days to complete, but she knew that it was worth the wait to avoid any problems in the future. On the morning of 18 September, Ziva sent a one-word email to Tony via the secure accounts; '_SOON_!'

Orli arranged for Ziva to be transported to Paris in the Mossad Lear jet; the flight left on the night of the nineteenth, arriving in Paris in the early morning hours of the twentieth. Ziva carried just her backpack and computer case, so she used the train to get from the airport to the city. At the stop near the flat, she stepped off the train into the early morning sunlight. It was still 0630, so she stopped at a café for breakfast while she waited. Her thoughts were all over the place.

What if Tony didn't want her there? What if Tali had forgotten her mother? What if they could not agree on what to do next? What if Tony could not forgive her?

'_Get out of your head, Ziva. Live for the moment!_' She swore she heard her Ima's voice in her thoughts. Ima was right, she needed to stop with the what ifs and focus on the here and now. Tali and Tony were within reach; all she had to do was go to the flat.

At 0815, Ziva stood outside the door to the Paris flat; key in hand. She put her hand on the knob, turning it out of habit. Locked. She inserted the key and turned; the knob opened and she pushed the door to look inside the flat. She could see signs of Tony and Tali in the living room; the flat definitely had a 'lived-in look.'

Ziva turned; she spotted a familiar face and they locked eyes. She felt her soul connect with his anew. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as the green eyes on the other side of the room held her gaze. She saw the love; yes there was some hurt, and maybe some anger, but the love was there. Her heart felt as though a dam had burst.

"IMA!" A blur rocketed towards her from behind her soulmate. Ziva held out her arms to the little girl who just about flung herself into them. "Ima!"

"Oh, baby, I have missed you so much. Ani ohevet otach, yaldati. Ima loves you baby," Ziva pressed her face into her baby's curls, her tears now running freely.

"Ima! Abba, look, Ima here! Ima, look, Abba here!" Tali's excitement at having both parents in the same room was very apparent. Ziva scooped Tali into her arms and stood up. She locked gazes with Tony as he moved towards mother and daughter.

"Hey," he whispered as she reached her free hand to him. He took her hand in hers and his thumb stroked the back of her hand. That small action did more to calm her fears than he could ever know. But, he probably did know; he had calmed her that way so many times in the past.

Tali turned and wrapped an arm around her Abba, the other arm still around her Ima. Tony reached his hand to her cheek to brush away a tear. Ziva leaned into his touch; the touch she had missed and longed for since sending him away in 2013. She felt the electricity between them and knew that even though there was a lot to be worked through, they would be okay.

She opened her mouth to speak, thinking she would return his greeting. He moved closer and fused his lips to hers; it was as though they had only been apart for minutes rather than years. She pressed into the kiss, locking her lips on his. If this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up. Ziva David was HOME at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who left kudos or just read along. More stories to come soon!


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